Sharpen the message for Assad

Given the chance to condemn terrorism publicly during his joint news conference with President Bill Clinton in Damascus last week, President Hafez Assad of Syria chose instead to maintain an aloof silence. Asked about his own country's role in sponsoring and harboring terrorists, he could do no better than lamely assert that no one can prove Syria's guilt in these matters. These are not encouraging responses from the leader of a country that, this year as in years past, occupies a prominent place on the U.S. State Department's list of countries involved in terrorism.

That Syria is officially condemned for state terrorism means that Clinton assumed certain political risks when he decided to honor Assad by visiting him in his capital. Assad, while clearly relishing the honor, did nothing, however, to help out his visitor. He denied that the subject of Syria's terrorism came up in his three or four hours of talks with Clinton. Clinton indicated the issue did come up, but he does not seem to have pressed it forcefully. No doubt his rationale was that in the limited time available he wanted to focus on what Syria could do to move its peace negotiations with Israel along. Still, it's obvious Clinton missed a rare opportunity to make it clear that so long as Syria plays the terrorism game its relations with the United States will suffer.

It has been left to others to make that point, most immediately to Senators Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Dennis DeConcini, Democrat of Arizona and member of the Intelligence Committee. Both accompanied Clinton to Damascus. Both also indicated after the Clinton-Assad meeting that they would oppose better relations with Syria until Assad acts to shut down the terrorist groups whose headquarters he permits in Damascus and to stop aiding Hezbollah, which operates out of Syrian-controlled southern Lebanon and receives a steady flow of Syrian arms and explosives.

Assad has always been shrewd in keeping his options open. Presumably he continues to regard Syria's association with terrorism as one more card to play in the long poker game of Middle East politics. If he ever gives it up, he will want something of high value in exchange. He has things backward. What Washington should make clear is that first Syria must end its involvement with terrorism, then it will be possible for the United States to consider a closer bilateral relationship.

-- The Los Angeles Times